Make It Monday - Peanut Butter Cookies

I guess I could call this a new summer series of posts I'm starting.  I tend to think of it as the food portion of the summer camp style of entertainment I have planned for my boys this summer.  Well, mostly it's for Gavin.  Kieran just crawls around our feet and shrieks a running commentary.

So yeah, every Monday (or as many Mondays as I can manage around our travel plans), Gavin and I will hit the kitchen and come up with some concoction.  And yes, I've dubbed it Make It Monday (I wish I could say I came up with that on my own.  Alas, I stole the name idea from my sister-in-law's friend.  Thanks friend!).

Anyway, it was really important to me that for our first Make It Monday, we do something that was near and dear to my heart.  Something that I made as a child.  Something sweet.  Something awesome.  Something that maybe I won a blue ribbon for at the local 4-H fair.

Nope, not kidding.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe from Kids in the Kitchen

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and egg.

Some basic cookie ingredients

2.  In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and blend to combine.

Ready for the fridge!

3.  Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge at least 1 hour.

4.  Preheat oven to 350.

5.  Using either a tablespoon or cookie scoop/melon baller, scoop relatively even amount of dough and roll into balls.  Place the balls about 3 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Flatten the cookies crisscross style with a fork dipped in flour.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Gavin demonstrates making the crisscross

When we lived in Maryland, I participated in 4-H for a couple years.  One year, I'm not sure what possessed me but I entered these cookies in the local fair.  I was terrified.  I still remember meeting with the judge, her taking that first bite, and talking to me about my cookies.  I also remember walking over to the display table later and seeing that blue ribbon.  It's been close to 20 years but I still remember it.

So yeah, these TOTALLY hit the "near and dear to my heart" qualification.  And now I have some new memories of these cookies, making them with my son. :)